Pumpkins are not just for carving! Try whipping up this warming pumpkin pie this October and leave the little monsters to the chocolate.
Ingredients
You will need:- x1 22 inch pie dish, baking beads, rolling pin, sieve, tin foil, food processor or potato masher, whisk, sauce pan, mixing bowl and a wire rack for cooling.
- 500g pre-made short crust pastry
- 450g chopped pumpkin (skin removed)
- 3 large free range eggs
- 75g/3oz soft dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ level teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 275ml double cream
- Plain flour for dusting
- Butter for lining the pie dish
- Pecan nuts to decorate (optional)
- Vanilla Ice-cream or créme fraïche to serve
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
- Place the pumpkin chunks on a baking tray, cover with foil and roast until soft and tender. This will take about 20-30 minutes, depending on your pumpkin.
- Lightly dust your worktop with plain flour and roll the pasty out to the thickness of a pound coin.
- Lightly grease the pie dish and line with the pastry. Blind bake for 20 mins using the baking beads to prevent the pastry from shrinking away from the tin.
- Once the pumpkin has cooked and has cooled enough to touch, press into the sieve to extract any excess water. Set aside to cool before blending in a food processor, or mashing by hand into a pureé.
- In a mixing bowl lightly whisk the eggs and set aside.
- Place the sugar, spices and the cream in a saucepan, bring to simmering point, whilst gently whisking. Pour over the eggs and whisk again briefly. Add the pumpkin pureé, and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Pour the filling into your pastry case and bake for 35-40 minutes.
- Place the tin on a wire rack to cool. Whilst the pie cools, roughly chop the pecan nuts and sprinkle on the top of the pie.
- Serve with a generous helping of ice-cream or créme fraïche.
